Sacramento Kings: 5 Lessons Learned from Game 1

Game 1 of the season was a solid win over the Timberwolves. I watched the game, as I have every Kings game for the last 20 years or so. Here are five things this game told me and all Kings fans.

No. 1: Defense

The team has a chance to be an average or better defensive team for the first time... well, ever.

The surplus of young bigs was on display in Game 1. DMC showed signs of being a solid post defender, as did Landry to a lesser extent. More importantly, all the bigs were active on the boards.

I can't even begin to remember the last time I saw a Kings team active on the boards at both ends like this. DMC, Landry and JT and Jackson off the bench—everyone rebounded. They even lost a few because multiple players were going after the ball.

That has never happened in Sacramento. Their biggest weakness has always been defense and rebounding. They have a chance to change that this year—a whole new era of Kings basketball.

No. 2: Offense

The offense has promise but needs lots of work. Way too many possessions were lost to a lack of ball movement and/or one-on-one play. The team has some weapons, but they are gonna need time to find their identity offensively.

No. 3: Players MIA

Tyreke Evans (suspension) and Sam Dalembert (injured) didn't play.

That's your franchise player and your starting center: major missing pieces. Based on this, there is only so much you can take away from the game.

No. 4: Competition

We were playing against the worst team in the league. The T-Wolves...ya, they're bad.

No. 5: The Players

Garcia played fantastic in all phases and was the star of this game.

Luther Head looks like a find in the back court. He showed he can play legitimate minutes at the backup point guard spot, spread the floor with his deep shooting and defend point guards. With his shooting he may become valuable playing in the back court when Evans gets back.

DMC had one hell of an opening to his career with a line of 14/8/5/2/+18, all while playing solid defense and crashing the boards relentlessly. A very solid welcome to the NBA for the 19-year-old.